In a new lawsuit, Mötley Crüe drummer and OnlyFans entrepreneur Tommy Lee has been accused of sexually assaulting a woman in the cockpit of a helicopter in February 2003.
The following article contains potentially triggering material relating to sexual assault and violence. If you believe you have experienced or witnessed sexual misconduct and are looking for support, consult the Canadian Resource Centre for Victims of Crime to find resources in your area.
The complaint — filed Friday (December 14) in Los Angeles and obtained by Rolling Stone — sees a Jane Doe accuse Lee of "forcibly groping, kissing and penetrating her with his fingers, and attempting to force her to perform oral copulation" during the 40-minute trip from San Diego County to Van Nuys, CA, after being "lured" onto the chopper by his private pilot, David Martz.
She had struck up a friendship with the pilot as a patron of the San Diego bank where she worked as a teller in 2002, and, after her alleged initial hesitance, agreed to go up in his helicopter, meeting Martz at an airfield for what she thought would be a sightseeing flight around the city. The plaintiff claims that she was told upon arrival that there had been a last-minute change in plans: she and Martz would be flying Lee up to Los Angeles instead.
"Within a matter of minutes of being airborne, Martz pulled out alcohol he had stored in the helicopter and began to mix drinks," the document alleges. According to Doe, Martz and Lee both drank, smoked marijuana and snorted cocaine during the flight, while she was told by the pilot to "just relax" upon her decision to remain sober.
She was allegedly "ordered" up to the cockpit by Martz to get the best view by sitting on the drummer's lap. The filing states that, feeling "immense pressure," Doe complied, and Lee allegedly almost immediately began groping and kissing her. She claims that the musician "only became more forceful" when she attempted to pull away.
"At one point, Lee penetrated plaintiff with his fingers while fondling her breasts. Lee then pulled down his pants and attempted to force plaintiff's head toward his genitals. By this point, plaintiff was in tears, but she had nowhere to go — she was trapped with little mobility to leave the cockpit," the suit claims. She claims Martz "merely watched" the alleged assault and said nothing to her while they flew back to San Diego after dropping Lee off in Van Nuys.
After initially not reporting the alleged attack, which caused her "great shock, distress, humiliation, shame and guilt," thinking it was an isolated incident that the police wouldn't take seriously, Doe now believes that Martz and Lee "had a history of engaging in indecent and illegal conduct on Martz's helicopter."
Mayhem Touring, Tommy Lee Inc., A Natural High Helicopters and Social Helicopters are named alongside Lee as defendants in the filing, which alleges sexual assault, gender violence, intentional infliction of emotional distress and negligence. The plaintiff is seeking past, present, and future damages, including but not limited to medical expenses, loss of earnings and loss of earnings capacity.
Prior to his death in 2015, Martz faced other allegations of flying under the influence. He was detained on suspicion of DUI in 2009 [via the Associated Press], as well as having lost his license three times and being charged with reckless operation of an aircraft after landing the helicopter on a public street to take Lee to a Nine Inch Nails concert in 2006 [via the Los Angeles Times].
The following article contains potentially triggering material relating to sexual assault and violence. If you believe you have experienced or witnessed sexual misconduct and are looking for support, consult the Canadian Resource Centre for Victims of Crime to find resources in your area.
The complaint — filed Friday (December 14) in Los Angeles and obtained by Rolling Stone — sees a Jane Doe accuse Lee of "forcibly groping, kissing and penetrating her with his fingers, and attempting to force her to perform oral copulation" during the 40-minute trip from San Diego County to Van Nuys, CA, after being "lured" onto the chopper by his private pilot, David Martz.
She had struck up a friendship with the pilot as a patron of the San Diego bank where she worked as a teller in 2002, and, after her alleged initial hesitance, agreed to go up in his helicopter, meeting Martz at an airfield for what she thought would be a sightseeing flight around the city. The plaintiff claims that she was told upon arrival that there had been a last-minute change in plans: she and Martz would be flying Lee up to Los Angeles instead.
"Within a matter of minutes of being airborne, Martz pulled out alcohol he had stored in the helicopter and began to mix drinks," the document alleges. According to Doe, Martz and Lee both drank, smoked marijuana and snorted cocaine during the flight, while she was told by the pilot to "just relax" upon her decision to remain sober.
She was allegedly "ordered" up to the cockpit by Martz to get the best view by sitting on the drummer's lap. The filing states that, feeling "immense pressure," Doe complied, and Lee allegedly almost immediately began groping and kissing her. She claims that the musician "only became more forceful" when she attempted to pull away.
"At one point, Lee penetrated plaintiff with his fingers while fondling her breasts. Lee then pulled down his pants and attempted to force plaintiff's head toward his genitals. By this point, plaintiff was in tears, but she had nowhere to go — she was trapped with little mobility to leave the cockpit," the suit claims. She claims Martz "merely watched" the alleged assault and said nothing to her while they flew back to San Diego after dropping Lee off in Van Nuys.
After initially not reporting the alleged attack, which caused her "great shock, distress, humiliation, shame and guilt," thinking it was an isolated incident that the police wouldn't take seriously, Doe now believes that Martz and Lee "had a history of engaging in indecent and illegal conduct on Martz's helicopter."
Mayhem Touring, Tommy Lee Inc., A Natural High Helicopters and Social Helicopters are named alongside Lee as defendants in the filing, which alleges sexual assault, gender violence, intentional infliction of emotional distress and negligence. The plaintiff is seeking past, present, and future damages, including but not limited to medical expenses, loss of earnings and loss of earnings capacity.
Prior to his death in 2015, Martz faced other allegations of flying under the influence. He was detained on suspicion of DUI in 2009 [via the Associated Press], as well as having lost his license three times and being charged with reckless operation of an aircraft after landing the helicopter on a public street to take Lee to a Nine Inch Nails concert in 2006 [via the Los Angeles Times].
